Lets Talk About You

[Lay-Lay]

I thought it would be awesome for everyone to share how they came to be on the raw lifestyle and what their biggist challenge has/had been? How they overcame it or are planning to?

This might be fun to learn something about yourself and at the same time get to know each other.

I will start.

I came to raw foods almost 3 years ago. I believe I would have died if I had not adjusted to the lifestyle. I had a severe case of neuro cardio genic syncope, and couldn't get out of bed hardly, work, or drive. I also had developed heart problems, migraines, Epstein Barr, Chronic Fatique, later pre-cancer, hyperplasia, thyroid, hormonal imbalances, must I go on. I spent thousands of dollars at doctors receiving diagnose after diagnose of something new everytime. We were about to lose everything due to all the medical expense. I started on herbs and they helped. Then I tried a variety of alternative methods such as EAV, blood testing, Iridology, energy, colonics, and so on. Then I came across a flyer about anti-aging with raw foods. I attended a seminar and then a class and with just a few days my whole life had changed for the better. I wasn't going to die. I was actually going to live and I have been living ever since. I have been mid to high raw ever since and enjoying every minute of it.

I have found that my biggist challege is thinking that I can at times do mid raw and stay healthy and I have not been able to this. To overcome this challenge I have vowed to do my upmost to stay high raw and reach out for more support.

[rawfigure]

As many know I came from a Competition background where I spent years eating Very High Protein diet and yo yo dieting for shows several times a year. As my body adjusted to the low cal diets it was harder and harder to prep for a show and the mental side of losing 12 gaining 15 losing 15 gaining it back got tiresome, literally. I found my self dragging my butt TIRED all the time. And mentally down on myself if I was not lean, 6 pack and all. I had a hard time accepting myself in the normal state. So I went raw to combat the fatique and digestive issues that came with my high Pro diet.

Biggest fear, challenge to overcome......Eating Carbs & Not eating High Protein !! I was 125-180 grams protein and 40-60 carbs...now I am the opposite and it still gets to me some days and I have this fear of getting fat on the high carb diet ! And since I have not lost on Raw in 10 months...it is feeding my fear. So this is my greatest challenge, changing my mindset of my old eating patterns. Eating Raw is easy (I am disaplined from years of strict dieting) so it is the mental side I have to learn to change around !!

[rawpriestess]

I had a vision in 1995, and I knew I would NEVER eat meat again, then in 2001, I met Victoria Boutenko and her family, and learned about RAW, then I KNEW raw was for me, but I struggled with raw/cooked/raw/cooked while always staying vegetarian, but for some reason, I felt it should be a flash, an instant thing like everything else in my life that changed, from eating meat, smoking, drinking, etc. it all happened instantly, and yet going RAW, didn't so I'm not sure what all that is about.

I feel my biggest challenge is that I haven't lost any weight in the last 2 months on 100% raw, the first two weeks, I lost alot, but I am the same weight as I was on April 1, and it is getting a little frustrating.

[veggie]

I became ill in 2002/2003, fatigue, hypoglycemia, digestive problems,then tested for food allergies and found that I had many. I struggled daily with what foods to eat that wouldn't cause a reaction. I also had problems even getting off the couch. Getting to work in the morning was a horrible experience. I was introduced to the Hallelujah diet through a friend, and found it to make sense. I cleansed my body of the huge amounts of meat that were still digesting after months, and transitioned to a vegan diet. After trying the diet with 15% cooked food, I decided to try all raw, and found that I felt much better. In fact I was able to tell the difference in digesting a cooked sweet potato as opposed to a raw one instantaneously. However, being raw caused me to begin binge eating after about 6 months into it. This is something I'd not done regularly, and it was becoming a regular pattern. I ended up gaining a ton of weight, which felt horrible on my small frame (and still does). So, I was finally able to get on the raw track, and that's where I plan to stay. Oh how I wish I could lose all that weight I gained, though

[jjonak]

I've been vegetarian most of my life, so I didn't have any health issues prompting me. (In fact, most of my friends and family thought I was crazy to try to be healthier.) I first found out about raw through Roxanne's restaurant in Larkspur when it opened. I loved every dish on the menu, even ones with dishes that I hadn't liked cooked. I was also amazed at how energetic I felt after eating it. I went to a raw potluck around that time, but it was mostly raw carrots in bowls, so the idea of doing it beyond eating out didn't appeal to me. This network is what convinced me. I love reading everyone's recipes, which have made the process so much more enjoyable, and I love the thoughtful and supportive debates. It made me realize that at the very least, I can incorporate a lot more raw into my diet, which I've always wanted to do. I immediately threw out everything in the house that wasn't raw (which was a lot of food).

The two biggest challenges I have are: (1) god, I miss tofu. I love tofu. I CRAVE tofu. I'm part Asian, maybe it's ineluctably in my genes. (2) it's really hard for me eating out or with friends. I'm not that much of a lettuce salad eater, though I really like spinach salads, and I wind up having to travel and eat out a lot for work. None of my local friends are raw either, so that's tough socially. They are all very respectful of it, but it makes it hard to go over to someone's house for dinner, and when I break down, it's invariably a situation like this, when I eat vegetarian but not raw.

[blessed]

I am on my second to third attempt at being raw and this time it's sticking.
Having Alissia's book has really helped us.
I still have a problem with canned beans at times i will mix them with lots of raw veggies and that makes me happy. I have overcome my desire for rice and believe me that was difficult.
I am really enjoying this way of eating, it's fun to invent dishes from whatever is in the refrig.
I too believe that eating raw has saved my life, i was dizzy all the time and my thoughts were cloudy and i was getting very forgetful at times and many others symptoms were coming upon me. Now i feel good except for detoxing.
Also i seem to be having heat spells but they come and go rather quickly.
Ann

[Lay-Lay]

Thank you all who shared your stories. I think it is motivating to hear them and so interesting how you can see a bit of yourself in each one although each of us come from different walks.

blessed: I too have been on the on off on off track of raw. I know the roller coaster, but only when I trully made the commitment did it stick for me.

jjonak: I too find it hard to eat out with friends and family. Even my husband for that matter. My families favorite thing to say "oh they have a great salad bar". I find them to be clueless. Do they really think I sit around all day and eat lettuce and snack on celery and carrot sticks.

Veggie: I too used to have tons of food allergies. Has raw helped them? It has for me. I don't have any now. I think that is so amazing!

rawpriestess: Thats how I felt about raw too. From the moment I got that anti-aging flyer I knew I had to do this. At this point I didn't even know what I was getting into. The day before I found out about raw I bought a new stove thinking I was going to need it for this new lifestyle, LOL. I was so clueless. I still have the stove, but I told my husband a few weeks ago that I was going to sell it if I remained raw 1 more year and I am going to make the space more useful.

rawfigure: I used to live a high protein diet and did for 2 years and contribute if not caused much of my illness. I still crave a medium rare steak, eggs, bacon, and those long skinny beef sticks (forget their name). Its strange loading up on right the opposite. Meat eater to veggie eater what a contrast.

[cassidy]

I used to work at a health food store and considered myself "healthy". I remember a few costomers talking about their raw diet. I just thought they were so out there. Seriously, how could any body eat like that... little did I know. I never thought I would be here. Anyway now, two years later I decided to do the master cleanse. I struggle with emotional eating and felt myself falling deeper into it and decided to break it with a fast. Well the fast only lasted 4 days... still beneficial for me though. But while I was on it I went to the MC bulliten board. A lot of people on that board were raw eaters. So while I was fasting I read up on the raw diet, found this web site, and fiddled around with recipes for a few weeks. then two weeks ago after extensive research ( :) ) I decided to go for it 100%. And here I am, never felt better! I find the more I learn the happier I am with my decisions. I see things a bit differently now. Milk ads make me angry. I would rather bury myself under a pile of cow poop then shop in a regular grocery store. Seeing parents feed their toddlers diet 7-up. stuff like that. I know I am just beginning me journey and I am so happy I stumbled across it. Very thankful. Thank all of you as well for your support. I know I pretty much live on this board. It is rediculous.

[rachelmh]

I would imagine that many of us came to this lovely place in similar manners. In February, I found out my fiance had stopped taking his depression meds, got into trouble and tried to kill himself. A massive nervous breakdown. He ended up going to a place in Utah for two months that saved his life -- and ours together. While he was away, I had to make the painful decision to postpone our wedding (that was supposed to be at the end of this month.) I gained about 10-12 pounds, while he was in the wilderness losing more than that. He came home, and a therapist he had was raw. I started reading into it -- and here I am. 100 percent raw since May 15th! My fiance eats raw at home, not out -- but it doesn't bother me.

My only frustration is the weight loss thing too. I don't need to be 125 pounds at 5'8" -- I just want the clothes in my closet to fit. It's like 13 pounds.

But the truth of the matter is that I feel great, despite being confused sometimes after reading posts of people who have been doing this for a long time. And I guess the weight loss will come eventually. I know it can happen -- I have been successful on paid, national weight loss programs. I don't think I am being unreasonable.

How do those of you who aren't losing weight cope with this? Sometimes it makes me want to go back to WW, despite its reliance on cooked foods.

[Scurvy Dog]

I think all of your stories are just amazing! Some of you are such an inspiration! Thanks for sharing your stories.

I am new to being raw, but I was excited to try this way of eating because it seemed so healthy. I have struggled with digestive problems for so long- that I can't remember when I didn't struggle struggle with them. Bloating...Gas and Constipation were a daily event that I had just learned to accept as the way I was. I tried every diet you can imagine to try to correct the problems and lose some weight. Like many of you...I had marginal success with weightloss and no success at all with digestion problems.

Since going 100% RAW 5 weeks ago, I am a new person. My digestion problems are totally gone! I feel energetic and light! I've lost about 12 pounds and 8 inches....which came off surprizingly quick! The weightloss has slowed down to about a pound a week or so...but I can live with that. I notice that if I eat too many Flax Crackers I wont lose anything.

My biggest obstacle...COFFEE! I really miss my morning coffee...especially on weekends or if someone makes a pot at work! BUT I don't cave...I used to put artificial sweetners and tons of coffee mate in mine...which I loved the flavor...but YUK! All those Chemicals!!! That's what keeps me on the straight and narrow...just reminding myself of how very bad that was for me. So far so good!

[Svadhyaya]

Excellent thread!

I'm still slowly easing into raw, probably up to my waist now.
I found this board in February and was intrigued. I've been overweight and tired for several years, despite being vegan and eating really healthy. All my vitals check out just perfect, so all the doctors have pronounced me well. But I feel older than my years, however. I suffer from bi-polar disorder, so depression may factor in somewhere, but the achy joints and fatigue is more than just in my head.....

Anyway, I'm hoping for an increasingly raw future and that I'll be able to conquer my food addictions once and for all. They have a hold on me and I hate it.

[MaddMelon]

I've been sickly since birth. My mother grew up with IBS, and still has symptoms, and I suffer from the same problem- only much more enhanced. I had severe colic (I have no idea how it's spelled lol) and had such severe stomach distress as a little girl, I'd spend nights screaming on the bathroom floor. My mother has always been deeply interested, and at times, involved in holistic healing. Our house was always filled with extracts and herbal supplements. When we got me tested for allegies, and discovered I was allergic to almost everything, my mother tried to change my self-inflicted dairy filled diet to a vegan one. Even when I was little, I was conciously made the decision that suffering would be better than tofu cheese.

I grew up with parents who are binge eaters. When they had a bad day, or had a great day, they liked to celebrate with food. Instead of treating themselves to one or two special things, they liked to buy large amounts of "bad food" and eat it all in one sitting. I took on this binging attitude, and inflated the severity of it. I've dealt with overeating for years. I eat to the point that I'm sick, and in pain, and then I eat some more. I piled on a lot of weight from ages 7 to 11, do to abnormally traumatic home situations, and lack of supervision when eating. I've dieted since I was 11, and lost the most amount of weight the first time I dieted, fifty pounds. I piled a good amount of it back on, and I've been struggling to take it off for years. When I got older I started to envy anorexics, and bulimics, and so I taught myself how not to eat.

My father recently came down with kidney cancer. Which wasn't a surprise to any of us, but disturbing none the less. At this point, he found it imperative to change his normal diet of southern black homestyle cooking. He bought Lorraine Day's 'The Cancer Cure.' He sent those tapes over to my mother and myself, and I took what she had to say to heart. I began researching vegan foods, and raw foods. When I was 16 I attempted becoming raw, it didn't work out. I couldn't get past 2 days.

I successfully became a vegetarian, and a vegan, but raw was just too much for me at that time. From 16-18 I've lost 30 pounds, mainly from restricting myself. During my first semester of college, I perfected the art of eating one thing per day. I lost weight, but I started to feel chest pains! I would like to say that I never tried restricting myself after that, but after a couple months of eating a vegan diet- a restricted vegan diet- and not seeing any results I began to slide back towards anorexia.

My main reason for eating raw is to lose weight; eating foods that I know are healthy and will help repair the damage done to my digestive tract, and vital organs. I feel that if I don't lose the weight now, that I'll continue to overeat, and severely restrict myself, causing my body more harm- maybe even killing myself or hurting my heart. (those chest pains were not a comforting sign)

I have lost most of my hope for anything curing my digestive tract, but I'm going to give it my all over the next couple of years, and see what I can do.

This is a rather long story, but to me, they are all important composites of what led me to raw.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Having genetic high cholesterol all my life, I've always had to watch what I ate, although most of the time I didn't and "suprisingly" saw no results. As I grew older, and knowing my father and other relatives with the high cholesterol died early deaths from heart attacks I knew I needed to get serious about my health even if I had to take meds, as the meds never lower it enough.

About 5 years ago, fed up with my levels not going down, I decided to give up eating animals once and for all. That was easy, however I was still eating high fat food and dairy.

I got interested in fasting through my pastor and read through all the Bragg healthy lifestyle books. Then I joined a Christian fasting BB called Freedom You (the old one not the current one) and became a moderator. The folks on that site advocated fasting and raw food.

However it wasn't until I read the www.Shazzie.com transitional journal from the year 2000 until I seriously wanted to "go raw".

I used to journal on Michelles www.fromsadtoraw.com site but I was waivering a bit much and became too uncomfortable baring my pitfalls. After some controversy posted here about one of the sadtoraw journallers, I came here to check it out, ordered Alissa's book and DVD's and soon became a regular posting member.

The rest is history. I've been on and off raw for 5 years now. I usually stay raw for 3-4 months before I get side-tracked, however this time I signed a 1 year contract with a friend, so after my fast is over (I'm on day 22 now of a 30 day liquid diet) I will embark again on an all raw diet.

Going raw does help with my cholesterol levels. My cholesterol dropped 77 points on raw, but it wasn't quite enough because I wasn't watching my fat levels closely enough.

Also raw keeps my energy up, leaves me clear-headed and I wake up without a bad taste in my mouth. My PMS is lighter and brighter and shorter and I never get a severe headache.

My challenges with raw are keeping up with the family whom I prepare meals for. I'm at that magic heart attack age and I constantly pray that I stick with raw each time. My family supports me, but will not go all raw with me, so things need to be juggled around here, but it IS possible.

[Lay-Lay]

wow, you are all an inspiration to continue on my journey.